July 20–It’s difficult to turn a corner inside Kalispell’s new Homewood Suites by Hilton without running into one of the dozens of men and women working on all aspects of construction in preparation for an Aug. 15 opening.
The four-floor, 100-room facility on Hutton Ranch Road, just east of the Stadium 14 theaters, is moving ahead quickly, with furniture arriving and some of the suites close to completion. The lobby and great room, decorated in a Montana rustic theme, are taking shape around a large central rock fireplace.
“I think we’re on the best location on the north end of town,” General Manager Angela Bowman said. “You can walk right to the theaters for entertainment, walk to Walmart and to shopping and to the restaurants.”
As an all-suite hotel, the 80,000-square-foot Homewood Suites is the first facility of its kind in Northwest Montana.
“We’re the only extended stay in Kalispell, and for a couple of hundred miles,” said Vanessa Nordahl, director of sales.
Nordahl and Bowman are both happy to return to the Hilton organization after a stint with another chain. Nordahl worked for Hilton in Ohio and Bowman was with the company in Pennsylvania.
“They’re very employee- and guest-friendly,” Bowman said.
The Homewood Suites emphasis is to make all guests feel as if they are at home, Bowman said. Each of the spacious suites is like a mini-apartment, with a full kitchen, living area and separate bedrooms and bathrooms in the one- and two-bedroom models.
Guests can choose their suites online. They can pull up the facility’s floor plan and click on a room with a mountain view or the first floor, for example. Reservations are now available online for any dates after Aug. 20.
The fitness center offers more space than the usual hotel fitness room, with plans for three bikes, three treadmills and three elliptical machines, as well as weight equipment.
Complimentary breakfast is offered daily in the great room, and dinner, included in the room price, will be served there Mondays through Thursdays. The great room connects to a large outdoor courtyard, where there also will be gas grills for customer use. The courtyard also connects to the indoor pool and spa.
A 24-hour convenience store will be on site and two large meeting rooms will be available for rent.
Bowman said she will have a staff of about 25 and is accepting applications with a few positions left to fill.
The Homewood Suites are taking off in the Northwest, Bowman said, with 323 current facilities, 29 more under construction and 68 more in the design stage.
Online:
www.kalispell.homewoodsuites.com
Business reporter Heidi Gaiser may be reached at 758-4439 or by email at hgaiser@dailyinterlake.com.
